Davao’s Valles reelected CBCP head

MANILA, Philippines — Davao Archbishop Romulo Valles has been reelected president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).

The CBCPNews, the official news service of the CBCP, announced last night that during the first day of their three-day 119th plenary assembly, the 67-year-old Valles was elected for a second term as president. 

His reelection would also make him the more visible face of the Church as it gears up for the 500th anniversary of the arrival of Christianity in the Philippines in 2021.

Also reelected CBCP officials were Kalookan Bishop Pablo
Virgilio David as vice president; Palo, Leyte Archbishop John Du as treasurer and Fr. Marvin Mejia as the collegial body’s secretary general. 

CBCP officials have a two-year tenure in office, or a total of four to include the second term.

Valles and David were first elected in 2017 and their first two-year term will expire on Nov. 30 this year. Their second term would officially begin on Dec. 1 this year and end on Nov. 30, 2021.

About 83 bishops, 73 of them active and five retired, attended the ongoing three-day plenary assembly held at the Pope Pius XII Catholic Center in Manila. 

The CBCP is currently composed of 134 members – 83 of them are active, three are administrators and 45 are retired from 86 ecclesiastical jurisdictions.

In his message to the Catholic bishops on their plenary, Pope Francis assured them of his support as they began their plenary assembly to discuss matters that affect the Church and the country. 

The pope also wished the CBCP plenary assembly to “bear fruit for the benefit of all the faithful in an environment of living communion.”